Newsletter - Spring 2012-13

Reminder: Add Day is Approaching

Just a friendly reminder that the last day for adding courses and removing incompletes is this Friday, April 19th. Please remember to bring your add cards to the Registrar's Office by 5:00pm on Friday.

Freshmen Shadow Grades and Midterm Grades

There have apparently been some rumors circulating that freshman shadow grades and midterm grades are reported to third parties like medical school admissions. No one should be releasing freshmen shadow grades or any mid-term grades without the student’s express written consent. Students control the release of their shadow grades, and for that matter, any grades, to third parties.

IMPORTANT! Advising Requirement For All Undergraduates

Caltech undergraduate students are required to meet one-on-one with their advisers at least once a year.

Advisers have been given several online tools to record meetings with their advisees and students will be able to see whether they have satisfied the requirement through an Advising Status presented on REGIS. Students who do not satisfy this advising requirement before Add Day of spring term will be placed on hold, preventing them from enrolling during online registration for the following fall term. Students can download a form and ask your adviser to sign as a way for you to initiate contact with your adviser and fulfill the advising requirement.

Several tools are available on REGIS to assist the faculty in helping your advisees. Advisers you can record meeting notes from advisee meetings, view previously entered notes, set Advising Holds on students and indicate when an advisee’s advising requirement has been met within the My Advisees webpage.

The “Advising Arena” on our website describes the details of the advising policies and online functionality. This link is available within the REGIS application as well. Please check it out! If you have feedback about the content, please let the Registrar’s Office know and additional materials can be added or updated.

As of April 10th, only 57% of undergraduates have been recorded as meeting the advising requirement. Go talk with your adviser today if your advising status on REGIS is not green with a message that you have satisfied your requirement!

TQFR Prize Winners and excellent TAs for Winter Term

Many thanks to all of the students who evaluated their courses through the TQFR. Your feedback and comments are very helpful to the faculty and TAs. Here are the lucky prize winners of $20 gift cards to Amazon.com from winter term:

We wanted to also congratulate two outstanding TAs who really made an impact on students:

Aaron Wolf, TA for Ay 117– Aaron is a G7 in the PhD program in Planetary Science. Aaron was praised for going 'above and beyond,' knowing the material 'inside and out' as he explained difficult concepts for the class. One student indicated that 'Aaron's effectiveness as a TA was on par with, and similar in terms of the amount of work put in, as a professor.' Students recognized the amount of time he devoted to the class and declared him 'phenomenal'!

Ben Yuan, TA for CS 2 – Ben is a junior majoring in Computer Science. Described as 'crazy helpful,' students thanked Ben for all the extra time he put into his office hours. Thought of as 'possibly the greatest TA,' a student recognized that Ben was 'a great influence on the class and made it so much more interesting.'

Thanks Aaron and Ben, for making a difference in the academic lives of our students. We appreciate all of the time and effort that you put into your work with students. Again, thanks so much for doing such a great job in the classroom!

Freshmen - Declare your Option

The Registrar’s Office just emailed you regarding the selection of your option. Please make sure to return the option selection form to the Registrar's Office. Your new option adviser will be assigned prior to online registration for fall term.

Grad Fair - April 17th

Stop by the Grad Fair, Wednesday, April 17th from 10am to 3pm in front of the Bookstore. See samples of rings, frames and announcements. Take care of all your Graduation needs!

Incompletes from Previous Terms for Graduating Seniors

Seniors who may have incompletes (E or I grades) from previous terms must have their final grades submitted by May 13th. Adequate time must be afforded for instructors to grade the work and to submit the final grade to the Registrar, therefore students must complete and turn-in their outstanding work to the instructor(s) a week prior to May 13th. Incomplete grades which are not removed by May 13th will become F grades for seniors.

Commencement 2013

This year's commencement ceremony will be held Friday, June 14th on Beckman Mall. All undergraduates participating in the ceremony should be at the steps of Parsons-Gates by 8:45am that day for a group photo. Graduate students should arrive by 9:15a.m. For further information, please see the Commencement website.

Important Dates

April 19

Last day for adding courses and removing incompletes

May 1-7

Midterm examination period

May 13

Midterm Deficiency Notices due to the Registrar’s Office & Last day for seniors to remove conditions and incompletes

May 17

Last day for scheduling examinations for the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer

May 22

Last day to drop classes or to exercise your P/F option

May 23

First day of registration for summer and fall term

May 27

Memorial Day (Institute Holiday)

May 31

Last day of classes - seniors and graduate students Last day for presenting theses for the degrees for Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer

June 5-7

Final examinations for seniors and graduate students

June 7

Last day of classes for undergraduates; Last day to register for summer and fall terms